HR: 1330h
AN: B33E-13    [Abstracts]
TI: Woody Debris: Linking Stream Morphology and Aquatic Biota in Southeastern Coastal Plain Streams, USA
AU: * Thom, T A
EM: tenaz@uga.edu
AF: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Panama City Field Office, 1601 Balboa Ave., Panama City, FL 32405 United States
AU: Herod, J J
EM: jeffrey_herod@fws.gov
AF: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento/San Joaquin Estuary FRO, 4001 N. Wilson Way, Stockton, CA 95205 United States
AB: In-stream habitat including woody debris is widely recognized as an important aspect of aquatic health. Relationships between woody debris and the distribution and life history of aquatic species are increasingly documented in the literature. In southeastern coastal plain streams, woody debris may have a greater influence on stream form and function than in other regions due to highly mobile shifting sand substrates. In an effort to document baseline stream conditions, natural variability within biological communities, and to also link chemical, physical and biological parameters within the Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic region, aquatic surveys have been conducted on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida over the past four years. We developed quantitative indicators of habitat health and protocols for measuring habitat condition at various geographic scales. Physical variables included stream channel characteristics, habitat connectivity, riparian cover and in-stream habitat including woody debris. Biological data (fishes and aquatic insects) were compared with in-stream habitat data for 56 sites. Significant relationships between species and in-stream habitat presence/absence and abundance were detected. Associations between woody debris and bed morphology were also significant. These preliminary data suggest that woody debris is an important factor shaping biological communities and stream geomorphic features in sand-bottom coastal plain streams.
DE: 1824 Geomorphology (1625)
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
DE: 9902 NABS Student Award Applied Research
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly